As we’ve been delving into the world of photography for this month’s theme, we’ve ended up with crushes on one photographer or another. I asked our editors and contributing writers to send me someone who’s been inspiring them, and here is an impressive list. While it includes crafters who also photograph, the subjects range from the intensely personal to the intensely physical, and none of it relates directly to crafting. But as we all know, inspiration comes from the world around us, and these photographers know that first hand. Enjoy, and let us know who your current photography crush is in the comments!

Ruud Albers is an active member of the Photo.net community. He takes photos of street scenery in his home in The Netherlands, and the subjects are simple: frost on a window, a row of bicycles, a person lost in thought, garbage. It is his keen eye for texture, color, and humor that makes his photography so beautiful. The compositions are always pleasing and uncluttered. He is in love with the simple details of everyday Dutch life, and when I look at his photos, I am too.
–Laura Cochrane

Some people are born with mad natural talent, and Cole Barash was clearly born with a gift for photography. The fact that his primary subject, snowboarding, is one of my favorite things in life cannot be overlooked, but his skills can undoubtedly be appreciated by all. Barash developed his personal style and began making a name for himself when he was still a teenager, and one of his amazing shots made the cover of Transworld Snowboarding in 2009, at age 22. He has the uncanny ability to put the viewer in snowboarding boots, giving rare perspectives and behind the scenes looks at the sport and lifestyle. Check out his “Behind the Goggles,” “Moments of Nomad II,” and “Split Second Snow” albums on his site for a deeper look. His photos are drool-worthy and help me daydream about being atop snowy mountains on sunny days in the office.
(Bonus: Kodak has a great article full of Barash’s tips and tricks for inquiring minds.)
–Goli Mohammadi

Jamie Beck and Kevin Burg do amazing cinemagraphs, which are still images that have one subtly moving element. The effect is hypnotic, as if time has stopped and all that matters is that one small motion.
–Diane Gilleland

Cindy Sherman is a photography and film director, but what I love most about her is her conceptual portraits. Using herself as a model she completely transforms into different characters at a pinnacle, poignant moment in their lives. Her photographs are like a still image from the film of the life of each subject, pulling you deep into a sometimes dark and twisted world. Buried under costumes and make-up Sherman evocatively disappears into the embodiment of the female form ranging from gorgeous to grotesque. I particularly love her collection called Untitled Film Stills that MOMA acquired in 1995, with my favorites being #3, #7, and #50 (above, in that order).
–Meg Allan Cole

Marc Horowitz is a pretty interesting artist and I think he has an amazing Flickr photostream. His photographs seem effortlessly candid, funny, and satirical at the same time. I’m pretty sure he just takes pictures of whatever he happens to see and like, but I’m also pretty sure that’s what makes someone a great photographer.
–Andrew Salomone

Claire Chauvin is a fun and clever crafter who also happens to be an incredible photographer. Lately, she’s been posting pictures taken with her Holga that have a great dreamy quality. One of her most frequent photo subjects is her daughter, Eleanor, whose personality is beautifully captured in Claire’s photographs. See more of her work on her Flickr stream and keep up with her crafting over on Poopscape.
–Rachel Hobson

Educated as a photojournalist in his native Denmark, Peter Funch turns documentary photography on its head by creating imaginary cityscapes out of many, many photographs of the same place over time. He then chooses to show, say, all the people carrying balloons on that street, or creates a Pantone colorscape out of people’s clothes. It’s not exactly photojournalism, more like heightened reality. (It reminds me of the way my toddler sees places he’s been to before, expecting all the exciting moments he’s ever seen there to happen every time we return.) A book of his Babel Tales series is available at Photo Eye.
–Arwen O’Reilly Griffith